Rabbi Chaim Loike

Rabbi Chaim Loike, Rabbinic Coordinator at OU Kashrut, discusses how the Jewish people were cursed in this week’s parsha, Matot, not directly, but through an indirect weakening of their connection with HaShem by causing them to sin.

It widely accepted that the American domestic turkey is a kosher avian species. But what about the bird known as "the Eastern Wild turkey?" Join Rabbi Chaim Loike, a Rabbinic Coordinator with OU Kashruth widely-recognized for his vast expertise in the kashruth of birds, for a unique discussion of hands-on halachic exploration. Are these two turkeys from the same species? Rabbi Loike discusses the halachic source material, as well as the turkey's encounter Rav Yisroel Belsky, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Torah Vodaath and Senior OU Poseik. You'll be "Giving-thanks" after you hear his talk!

Rabbi Chaim Loike
Rabbinic Coordinator, OU Kashruth
Did you gobble down some poultry on Thanksgiving? Listen to Rabbi Chaim Loike and discover the lesser-known odyssey of the turkey in the world of kashrus! Rabbi Loike is a Rabbinic Coordinator with OU Kosher with special expertise in avian kashrus. In this video, Rabbi Loike uses live birds as he discusses what it is that makes a bird kosher. When is a predator not a predator? And when is a quail not a quail? And who was it that kept the turkey in the kosher kitchen? Tune in; you’ll be coming “beak” for more! This seminar was recorded live at the Bialostoker Synagogue in New York, NY on November 25, 2009. Download source sheet.

Rabbi Chaim Loike
Rabbinic Coordinator, OU Kashruth
When is a quail not a quail? When is a predator not a predator? Join Rabbi Chaim Loike, a Rabbinic Coordinator with OU Kashruth possessing vast knowledge of avian kashrus, as he guides us to a greater understanding of kosher birds. Tune in and see him elucidate the relevant principles—with live birds! No doubt, you’ll come “beak” for more… This seminar was presented at the "OU Kosher Coming" program at JLIC - Johns Hopkins University, on November 9, 2009.

The peacock is among the most beautiful of all birds—and among the most mysterious! Join Rabbi Chaim Loike, a Rabbinic Coordinator with OU Kosher with special expertise in kosher birds, in a lucid and thorough discussion of the history and halachos of the peacock. Did King Solomon really bring them to Israel? Is one species kosher and another forbidden? Does any community have a tradition of eating them? Tune in and you’ll no doubt come “beak” for more…

Sherlock Holmes meets the Shulchan Aruch! Join Rabbi Chaim Loike, a Rabbinic Coordinator with OU Kashruth with special expertise in birds, as he describes the OU’s investigation into the kashrus of the partridge. Do partridges appear in the Bible? Is partaking of a partridge part of our patrimony? What precisely is the OU’s position? You’ll get the answers to these and other questions in this presentation. BONUS: Click here to see pictures!

In a special presentation recorded on Tzom Gedaliah [10/2/08] at Yeshiva University in New York, Rabbi Chaim Loike elucidates how we confirm the kosher status of a bird. Rabbi Loike is not only a Rabbinic Coordinator with OU Kashruth: he is also an ordained shochet (ritual slaughterer) with vast expertise in this area. This seminar is richly illustrated and truly edifying. It even has an intoductory section about Kaparos. Don’t miss this “egg”-cellent chance to learn! Click here to download the source sheet.